Australia hits Iran with sanctions

CANBERRA, Australia, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- The Australian government is imposing new sanctions on Iran to persuade Tehran to honor nuclear commitments, Foreign Minister Bob Carr said Thursday.

Carr said Australia was targeting the energy, financial, trade and transportation sectors in Iran with new sanctions.

"These sanctions further increase pressure on Iran to comply with its nuclear non-proliferation obligations and with U.N. Security Council resolutions and to engage in serious negotiations on its nuclear program," he said in a statement.

Carr added that sanctions target the export of materials related to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and to industries controlled by the military.

Negotiations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency are expected to resume Wednesday. Following meetings in December in Tehran, nuclear inspectors said bilateral meetings were constructive though access to sensitive military installations was prohibited.

Saeed Jalili, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said last week that Tehran's cooperation with the IAEA was "constant."

Iran is suspected of pursuing the technology needed to manufacture a nuclear weapon, an allegation the government denies.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today's UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.